The River Flows On by Maggie Craig Read Free Book Online

‘From Mr Donaldson himself.’
    ‘I don’t care if you’ve got an invitation from the Archangel Gabriel.’
    ‘Wullie!’ his wife wailed. ‘We’re not going to see a demned thing.’
    Jessie snorted. ‘Touch of the pan loaf, wouldn’t you say?’ she murmured. It was the expression they used for anyone trying to put on airs and graces. Anxiety at the prospect of missing the launch was stripping the mock-gentility from the woman’s speech, her working-class origins shining through. Her elocution teacher would have been ashamed of her.
    ‘Gentlemen! Gentlemen!’ It was the man who had looked Kate and Pearl up and down. He laid a restraining hand on a couple of shoulders. ‘Let’s not have any trouble on launch day now. We’ll allow the lady and gentleman to pass. In fact, we’ll do better than that. We’ll find them an excellent vantage point - just to show there’s no hard feelings.’
    Neil Cameron and the other men fell back without a murmur, bland smiles on their faces. Kate had seen nothing, but somehow a signal had been given. Ushering the inspector and his wife through the crowd, the apparent peacemaker turned and gave her a swift wink. She looked across at her father. There was a definite twinkle in his eye, but he put one long finger up to his mouth in a gesture of silence.
    ‘May God bless her and all who sail in her!’ The bottle of champagne broke over the bow. For one awful, heart-stopping moment Kate thought the ship wasn’t going to move at all. The crowd seemed to be holding its collective breath. Jess slipped her hand into Kate’s. Even Pearl darted an anxious glance up at their father.
    Then, so slowly at first that the movement was barely perceptible, the Irish Princess began to slide away from the platform towards the river. All of a sudden she gathered speed and a roar went up from the assembled workforce. She was really moving now, so swiftly that Kate saw why they had to attach chains to arrest her progress towards the Clyde. Huge rusty red clouds of dust rose from them, sparks flew out and there was a noise like the sea washing over shingle - only a hundred times louder. She hit the river.
    ‘Oh, Daddy, she’s no’ gonnae sink, is she?’ cried Jessie.
    Neil Cameron laughed. ‘The Clyde’s not deep enough for her to sink, lassie. Just watch what happens now, and keep your eye on those daft laddies right down by the waterfront.’ He pointed out a knot of apprentices standing to the right of the slipway and several yards above it. A man and woman stood with them. ‘We got the boys to show those folk a really good vantage point.’
    Jessie’s eyes were dancing. ‘Och, Daddy, you didnae!’
    Neil chuckled. ‘We did, lassie. We did!’
    Just when it looked as though the Irish Princess might be going to sink after all, she bobbed and righted herself. The bunnets were flung in the air and a mighty cheer went up. It was followed by a deep rumbling laugh which spread throughout the assembled crowd. When the ship slid into the water, her displacement caused a great wave to come back up the slipway. It was huge and unstoppable, rising several yards to cover anyone foolish enough to be standing near it. The apprentices yelped and ran. The Means Test Inspector and his wife also yelped - and tried to run. It was no use, the force of the water too rapid for them. They were soaked from head to foot.
    The excitement over, people began to mingle. Under cover of the general conversation, Kate asked Robbie about the young woman who’d been part of the launch party.
    ‘Oh, that’s Donaldson’s daughter, Marjorie. My Ma does some dressmaking for her and her mother.’
    So that’s what the look and the wee smile had been about. Kate was wearing Marjorie Donaldson’s cast-offs.
    ‘She’s a smasher,’ broke in Pearl. ‘Don’t you think so, Robbie?’
    ‘If you like that skinny, straight up and down look, I suppose,’ he said absently, turning to wave to some of the other